# Does anyone here make your own jerky?



## sanfrantreat (Jan 12, 2008)

Hi does anyone here have an excalibur dehydrator or use their ovens to make their own beef jerky or salmon jerky or any jerky?


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## Mark C (Sep 19, 2007)

You may try a search, I think it's been covered before.

I make my own beef jerky using a generic wal-mart dehydrator. Used to do the oven thing but I like my plastic dehydrator much better, and it doesn't occupy the oven all day long.

I know there are plenty others on here who've admitted to making their own. If a search doesn't work for you, I'm sure others will chime in eventually.


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## sanfrantreat (Jan 12, 2008)

well there was a thread asking if people like beef jerky. Most people in there depended on store bought jerky.


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## chippewastud79 (Sep 18, 2007)

I used to, had one of those Ronco dehydrators or something like it.

Maybe you can look through these threads for some help:
http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/showthread.php?t=117056&highlight=beef+jerky
http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/showthread.php?t=23352&highlight=beef+jerky


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## SilvrBck (Sep 8, 2003)

I make mine on the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker. Here's my favorite recipe:

2 Cups soy sauce
1 Cup water
1/2 Cup dry sherry
1/2 Cup apple cider
1 Cup brown sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1 tablespoon fresh cracked pepper

Marinade 5lbs of sliced beef (I like london broil) in that overnight, drain, and smoke or dehydrate until done to your liking. :dr

SB


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## Silky01 (Jul 16, 2007)

Do my own deer jerky. Walmart dehydrator--had three of them runnin at once just this past season.


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## mosesbotbol (Sep 21, 2005)

I use to make it on my barrel smoker; it's too much work and I find cutting the eye round thin enough is a pain unless you have a commercial slicer. Air drying, smoking, curing... time consuming...

In the end, I don't mind paying $14 a pound for someone else's craft.


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## Mark C (Sep 19, 2007)

mosesbotbol said:


> I find cutting the eye round thin enough is a pain unless you have a commercial slicer.


Have you tried partially freezing it first? It's a lot easier with a good sharp knife and a partially frozen chunk of meat, but still subject to variation from piece to piece.


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## mosesbotbol (Sep 21, 2005)

Mark C said:


> Have you tried partially freezing it first? It's a lot easier with a good sharp knife and a partially frozen chunk of meat, but still subject to variation from piece to piece.


I do that when I butterfly chicken breasts. I think my jerky days are over, as when I make it, everyone wants it and it becomes more hassle than it's worth. If I had a commercial kitchen to process 20+ lbs, then maybe...


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## BamaDoc77 (Jan 31, 2007)

why use a dehydrator? use your oven at 135 degrees//...


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## Mark C (Sep 19, 2007)

BamaDoc77 said:


> why use a dehydrator? use your oven at 135 degrees//...


I think my oven was always too hot, even on the 'warm' setting. I'm much happier with my $20 dehydrator jerky.


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## GoodFella (Nov 3, 2007)

Mark C said:


> I think my oven was always too hot, even on the 'warm' setting. I'm much happier with my $20 dehydrator jerky.


this is how i always do it. to cut the meat if i dont do it with a knife i use our deli slicer at work (i work in a kitchen). one little trick i would like to pass one to some people who are new at this. non stick spray is your friend .

DEER jerkey man its been a long time since i have had any. i feel like homer thinking about a donuts.


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## ChokeOnSmoke (Oct 30, 2007)

SilvrBck said:


> I make mine on the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker.


Same here. Use to make it all the time but it's been a few years now. Never tasted better than what comes off a smoker.


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## El Gato (Apr 2, 2003)

I have a convection oven that has a drying setting for making jerky and dried fruit. It works great, but I can eat an oven load up in an afternoon with a 6 pack. It sure is good, but it's a lot easiar grabbing a bag at the Wal-Mart.
Sure it's not as yummy, but it's instant gratification.

I've found that if you keep your eye on the grocery store sale flyers you can make jerky that doesn't cost and arm and a leg. They'll have some ridiculous sales on meat just to get you in the door to buy the $4 gallons of milk.
When there is a good sale on shell sirloin or lean roasts I'll grab 'em and make jerky.

Remember to trim the meat of every single bit of fat. Yes the fat is yummy, but it never will dry properly and becomes the wild frat house of bacteria.
The only thing worse than food poisoning is knowing that you did it to yourself!


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